Conference taveng::bagels

    I have visited the old synagogue in Willemsted, Curacao - it is very
    interesting, and they have an interesting historical collection also. 
    I expect that they would provide you with some interesting reading if
    you write to them (I'll try to remember to dig up the address).  That
    synagogue was founded by Sephardic Jews who fled to Curacao after
    having fled to the Netherlands from the expulsion from Spain.  The
    synagogue has some very old Torah scrolls that date from pre-Expulsion
    Spain (not used anymore - they keep them in a climate-controlled case,
    and use their newer scrolls instead).  Since Jews were not allowed to
    own either land or property in most of Europe most of the time, I
    expect that the families who founded that synagogue were merchants and
    traders.  I doubt if they were what we would call wealthy, or that they
    owned slaves, but I really don't know (I am not of Sephardic background
    anyhow). As I said, the synagogue has a lot of historical artifacts and
    records dating back to Spain.
    
    The old building is quite interesting, since it is built in the Dutch
    style for the exterior.  The interior of it has the Torah reading desk
    in the center, as is usual in old Sephardic schuls, and the main floor
    is covered with sand - they gave me an assortment of reasons for this,
    ranging from Biblical (as numerous as the sands) to practical during
    times of persecution (quieter underfoot so as to not attract
    attention).  The women's gallery upstairs does not have a sand floor. 
    The current congregation there is affiliated with the reconstructionist
    movement.
    
    /Charlotte

    There were Jewish slave owners in the American South before the Civil
    War.  Some black Jews trace their Jewishness to Africa, but others
    say their ancestors became Jewish by conversion when bought by a 
    Jewish owner.  I believe that some Jewish owners deliberately did not
    convert their slaves, some converted them, and others would convert
    them to Christianity!  I don't know why they would do the last, but
    it may have been to avoid conflict with non-Jewish neighbors.
    
    There's a little discussion of Jews owning slaves in the book
    _Time_on_the_Cross_, an economic analysis of slavery in the South.
    The book's conclusions were controversial at the time, but no-one
    ever challenged their sources (though many critics claimed that
    the sources were not representative, i.e. no statistical conclusions
    could be drawn from them).
    
    One of the Cabinet members of the Confederacy was Jewish, I believe.
    
    		-John Bishop

re .2:

>    There were Jewish slave owners in the American South before the Civil
>    War.  Some black Jews trace their Jewishness to Africa, but others
>    say their ancestors became Jewish by conversion when bought by a 
>    Jewish owner.

This has nothing to do with the original question, but that has never stopped 
anyone before... :-)

According to Halacha (jewish law), a slave owned by a Jew automatically becomes
Jewish himself.  While a slave, he is exempt from many of the commandments, but
once freed, he becomes completly Jewish as if he had converted voluntarily.

To continue the digression a bit:

It occurs to me that the effect of this law was to grant full citizenship
to the former slave. As a reward for seven year's service, and considering
how old this law is, that's not too bad treatment for a slave.

Dave

re .4:

You're confusing an "eved ivri" (Jewish slave) with an "eved canaani"
(non-Jewish slave).  An eved ivri was a Jew who had been convicted of
theft and couldn't repay.  He was sold to another Jew in return for
his master paying his debt.  As a Jew, he was responsible for all mitzvot
(commandments) with one exception -- he was allowed to marry a "shifcha
canaani" (non-Jewish female slave).  He was normally freed in the shmita
(sabbatical) year, but if he wished to remain a slave (perhaps because he
wanted to keep his wife and children), he could have his ear pierced and
become a slave for life.

An eved canaani was a slave for life.  He had to be circumsized, and he
was responsible for only limited mitzvot.  His master could free him (in
which case he would become a full-fledged Jew), but this was frowned upon.

Please note that this is from memory, and there may be some inaccuracies.
Corrections are welcome.

More about eved ivri:

The laws of Eved Ivri (a jewish slave) are spelled out in last week's Torah 
reading, Mishpatim.  The most important law of Eved Ivri is that he must be
released after 6 years of service.

The Haftorah (portion from the prophets that is read after the Torah on Shabbat)
for Mishpatim, which is almost always pre-empted by Parshat Shekalim, is from 
Jeremiah 30 (or close to that).  It relates the incident that was the 'last 
straw' before G-d destroyed the Biet Hamikdash (Temple) in Jerusalem.  The
Jews of the time were violating the laws of Eved Ivri and were keeping their
poorer brethren slave forever.  At one point the King and the people signed 
a pact the restore the rights of Jewish slaves - i.e. that they be freed after
serving 6 years.

The people, after first releasing their servants, re-enslaved them, breaking 
the pact.

Jermiah related the furious words of G-d (this is from memory and i dont 
remember it exactly):  'Since you have broken your word to grant freedom to
your servants, I (G-d) have granted freedom to the swords of your enemies - you
will be destroyed' (or something like that - maybe Jem can give a full 
rendering of the verses).

the source of all out tzores (troubles) over the centuries:  Jews who do not
treat each other with proper respect.

(enough mussar for now)

shabbat shalom
Louuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu

re: .2
    
>    One of the Cabinet members of the Confederacy was Jewish, I believe.
    

Judah Benjamin...

    I found the Curacao information.  The synagogue is called Sephardic
    Mikve Israel-Emanuel Synagogue, and it is on the corner of
    Columbustrasse and Kerkstrasse in Willemstad.  As of a few years ago,
    the rabbi was Rabbi Aaron L. Peller, living in Kerstraatza, telephone
    11067.   The cantor is/was Pavel Slavinsky.  The building was built in
    1732.
    
    The curator of the Jewish Cultural Museum next door is Miss Mae
    Capriles; her family emigrated to Curacao in 1759.
    
    One book I have dates the first Jewish settlement on Curacao to either
    1652 or 1634 (if you believe a possibly fictional tale).
    
    You can probably find lots more info by writing to Curacao, if you are
    curious.
    
    /Charlotte